Container having recessed tilting handle and method for stacking same

ABSTRACT

A stackable container for carrying and scooping material has a body, a lower handle mounted in a recess in the lower portion of the container body, and an optional upper handle attached to the upper portion of the container body. The lower handle is an elongated continuous member, like a stiff metal rod, shaped into a handle. When not in use, the lower handle can be stowed in the recess beneath an optional retainer flange. To use the lower handle, the handle can be urged from beneath the optional flange to extend outwardly from the container body. The optional upper handle is an elongated member with a grip mounted in the center. A total of three recesses in the exterior of the container body and three corresponding protuberances in the interior are used to stack multiple containers together.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional application 61/047,353,filed Apr. 23, 2008.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to containers for carrying and scoopingmaterial.

2. Relevant Art

One type of container having a handle is a bucket made up of acylindrical body with a closed bottom end, an open top end, and a handlemounted in the upper portion of the bucket so that the handle swivels.Such a bucket can be filled with material, carried, and emptied of itscontents. One way to fill the bucket is to pour material into it whileit is standing upright. Another way to fill the bucket is to use it as ascoop.

One method for using the bucket as a scoop involves grasping thebucket's handle in one hand and swiveling it toward oneself whiletipping up the bottom of the bucket with the other hand. This motionplaces the open mouth of the bucket either roughly parallel with thematerial to be scooped or facing downward toward the material, dependingupon the height at which the bottom of the bucket is lifted. The bucketis then dragged through the material by pulling on the handle andpushing on the bottom of the bucket, or by simply pushing on the bottomof the bucket alone. At the end of the scooping action, the bottom ofthe bucket is dropped and the bucket is lifted by the handle. Thiscauses the material captured by the scooping action to settle within thebucket.

Scooping material in this way can involve bending over at the waist soas to reach the material with the bucket. The lower the material to bescooped, the further one will likely need to bend to get at thematerial.

A bucket can be carried by a handle mounted near the top of the bucket.For heavier loads, one might be required to use two hands on the handleto carry the bucket. This generally calls for each hand to be placedside by side on the handle and the bucket to be held out in front of oneas one walks. Because of the relatively great weight of the bucket'scontents, the bucket typically needs to be carried close to the body.The position of the bucket held out in front of one and held close tothe body makes a normal gait difficult, resulting in one taking smallersteps as the load is carried.

A handle of a bucket can also be useful in emptying contents from thebucket. One way to empty a bucket is to grasp the handle in one hand tostabilize the bucket and to grab the bottom of the bucket in the otherhand. The bottom of the bucket is then tipped up. The lifting motionprovided by the hand on the bottom of the bucket controls the rate atwhich the contents of the bucket are emptied.

When emptying a heavy bucket of material, the weight of the contents islifted as the bottom of the bucket is initially tipped up. As thecontents of the bucket pours out, the weight of the material remainingin the bucket naturally decreases, thereby requiring less effort to liftthe remaining contents of the bucket. If the bucket of material isrelatively heavy, initially tipping up the bottom of the bucket can makeit difficult to control the speed at which the material is emptied fromthe bucket.

What is needed is a container that decreases the amount of bendingrequired to scoop material into the container, that allows one to moreconveniently carry heavy containers of material, and that provides morecontrol when emptying material from a container.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a container is provided thatemploys a lower handle and that allows for the stacking of multiplecontainers. With the present invention, the amount of bending requiredto scoop material into a container is decreased, carrying heavycontainers of material is made more convenient, and more control isprovided when emptying material from a container. A container embodyingfeatures of the present invention comprises a body having a sidewall anda lower handle assembly mounted in a recess in the lower portion of thebody.

The body of the container has an enclosing bottom and an open top. Thebody also has multiple recesses in a lower portion of its exteriorsurface. The formation of each recess in the exterior surface produces acorresponding protuberance in the interior surface of the body. Therecesses and protuberances together allow for the stacking of multiplecontainers.

The lower handle assembly is housed within one of the recesses in thelower portion of the exterior surface of the body of the container.Generally, the entire assembly is contained within the recess. The lowerhandle assembly contains a lower handle that is capable of extendingoutwardly from the recess and retracting back within the recess.

In some embodiments, an upper handle is attached to the upper portion ofthe container body. The upper handle is an elongated member thatattaches loosely to the body. This loose attachment allows the upperhandle to swivel in relation to the body of the container. In some ofthese embodiments, a grip is mounted over the center portion of theupper handle to afford more comfort in carrying the container.

In some embodiments, a retainer flange is attached to the top of therecess that houses the lower handle assembly. The retainer flangesecures the handle portion of the lower handle assembly within therecess. The retainer flange is attached so as to be generally flush withthe exterior surface of the body of the container. To use the lowerhandle, the handle is removed from the retainer flange and extendedoutwardly from the recess.

The lower handle is used in a variety of ways. One way is to help inscooping material into the container. Extending and grasping the lowerhandle allows one to stand more upright when getting at the material, asopposed to grabbing the bottom of the container and bending, or bendingfurther, to reach the material.

The lower handle is also used in conjunction with an upper handle tocarry a heavy container of material. By grasping the upper handle in onehand and the lower handle in the other, one is able to hold thecontainer more to one side as one walks, allowing one generally to takefuller strides. By and large this would be preferable to carrying thecontainer by two hands on the upper handle. Carrying the container inthis manner can lead to the container being carried out in front ofoneself close to the body, resulting in the likely need to take smallersteps.

Another way the lower handle is used is in emptying material from acontainer. By pulling up on the lower handle, rather than tipping up thebottom of the container, one generally has more control over the speedat which the material is emptied from the container, particularly whendealing with a heavy container of material. Pulling up on the lowerhandle, rather than tipping up the bottom of the container, can alsomake it easier to empty the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and to its method ofoperation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may bebest understood by reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a container with a lower handlefully extended, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the container in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the container in FIG. 1 with alower handle stowed;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the opposite side of the containerin FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the container in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the container in FIG. 3 with alower handle partially extended;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 6, focusing on the partiallyextended lower handle;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the container in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 8, focusing on the partiallyextended lower handle;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of four containers stacked one within theother, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cutaway side elevational view of the container shown inFIG. 10, taken along line X-Y;

FIG. 12 is a cutaway side elevational view of two stacked containerssimilar to FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cutaway side elevational view of three stacked containerssimilar to FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a cutaway side elevational view of four stacked containerssimilar to FIGS. 11-13; and

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of four containers stacked togetherfrom a different angle than shown in FIGS. 11-14.

DESCRIPTION

Embodying the principles of the present invention is a containerdepicted in FIGS. 1-9 that is capable of being stacked within othercontainers, as depicted in FIGS. 10-15.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a container 30 comprises an open top 34, aclosed bottom 36, a body 40 forming an enclosing sidewall extending fromthe top 34 to the bottom 36, an upper handle 100, and a lower handleassembly 190. The body 40 is in the general shape of a graduallytapering cylinder, with an upper portion of the body 40 that is adjacentto the top 34 of the container 30 being wider and a lower portion of thebody 40 that is adjacent to the bottom 36 of the container 30 beingnarrower. The upper handle 100 is mounted to the body 40 near the top 34of the container 30, as described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.The lower handle assembly 190 is mounted to the body 40 near the bottom36 of the container 30, as described below with reference to FIGS. 6-9.

Continuing with FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper handle 100 comprises a handlemember 103 and a grip 105. The handle member 103 is a length of curved,elongated material, such as a length of stiff metal rod. Each end of thehandle member 103 attaches to the body 40 of the container 30 allowingthe upper handle 100 to pivot or swivel in relation to the body 40, asdescribed below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The curvature of thehandle member 103 is sufficient to allow the handle member 103 to swiveleasily on the body 40. The grip 105 of the upper handle 100 issubstantially a plastic cylinder open at both ends. The grip 105 isnormally rotatable on the upper handle 100 or may be fitted securelyover the center portion of the handle member 103 so that approximatelyan equal length of the handle member 103 appears on either side of thegrip 105.

Regarding FIGS. 1 and 2, in the current embodiment, the upper handle 100pivots easily back and forth over the body 40 of the container 30. Insome alternate embodiments, however, an upper handle 100 can beconfigured to be stationary. In other alternate embodiments, an upperhandle 100 can be configured so as to allow the handle 100 to bepositioned within a range of possible positions and to remain stationaryin the given position until repositioned. In addition, in alternateembodiments the handle member 103 of the upper handle 100 can beconstructed of another material, such as rope, cord, or a metal orplastic band. Also in alternate embodiments, the grip 105 can be made ofother materials, such as rubber, wood, or metal.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, the body 40 of the container 30 comprises apair of opposing ends 48 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), an interior wall surface50 (see FIG. 5), a bottom 90 (see FIG. 5), an exterior wall surface 110(see FIGS. 3 and 4), a lip 200, a mount ridge 210 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), apair of upper handle mounts 220 (one shown in FIG. 3 and another shownin FIG. 4), and a circumferential stacking stop 230 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).The bottom 90 of the body 40 is formed with or attached to a bottom end48 of the body 40. In this way, the container 30 is closed at the bottomend 48 so as to hold material disposable into the container 30. Thecontainer 30 is open at the opposing top end 48 so as to accept materialplaced into the container 30.

Regarding FIGS. 3-5, in the current embodiment, the body 40 of thecontainer 30 is made of plastic. In alternate embodiments, a body 40 canbe constructed of a different material, such as metal, fabric, wovenmaterial, or wood.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the lip 200 is located on the exteriorwall surface 110 of the body 40 of the container 30 at the top end 48 ofthe body 40. The lip 200 is a narrow projection that encompasses thecircumference of the body 40. The mount ridge 210 is a narrow projectionthat encompasses the circumference of the body 40. The mount ridge 210is formed with the exterior wall surface 110 of the body 40 and isoriented generally parallel to the lip 200. The mount ridge 210 alsoprojects approximately the same distance from the exterior wall surface110 as does the lip 200. A portion of the mount ridge 210 is generallyadjacent to each of the upper handle mounts 220.

Continuing with FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of upper handle mounts 220 (oneshown in FIG. 3 and another shown in FIG. 4) are attached to theexterior wall surface 110 of the body 40, between the mount ridge 210and the stacking stop 230. The upper handle mounts 220 are attached toopposing ends of a diameter drawn across the top end 48 of the body 40.The opposing upper handle mounts 220 are aligned generally along thesame horizontal axis. An eye 223 is located in the approximate center ofeach mount 220. Opposing ends of the handle member 103 (see FIGS. 1 and2) of the upper handle 100 are inserted into each eye 223 to attach theupper handle 100 to the body 40. The upper handle 100 attaches looselyto the pair of upper handle mounts 220, allowing the upper handle 100 topivot or swivel in relation to the body 40 of the container 30.

Still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the stacking stop 230 is a broadprojection that encompasses the circumference of the body 40. Thestacking stop 230 is formed with or attached to the exterior wallsurface 110 of the body 40 and is oriented generally parallel to boththe mount ridge 210 and the lip 200. The stacking stop 230 also projectsapproximately the same distance from the exterior wall surface 110 asdoes the mount ridge 210 and the lip 200. A portion of the stacking stop230 is generally adjacent to each of the upper handle mounts 220. Whenstacking a second container 30 within a like first container 30, astacking stop 230 on the second container 30 provides a broad projectionthat catches on the lip 200 of the first container 30 to help preventthe second container 30 from being lowered further into the firstcontainer 30.

Regarding FIGS. 3 and 4, the lip 200, the mount ridge 210, the pair ofupper handle mounts 220, and the stacking stop 230 are all moldedportions of the body 40 of the container 30. In alternate embodiments,each of these elements can attach to the body 40 in some other wayrather than being molded into the body 40. Also in alternateembodiments, an upper handle 100 can attach to the body 40 in adifferent manner known in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the exterior wall surface 110 of the body 40 ofthe container 30 comprises a lower handle recess 160, an intermediaterecess 170, and a short recess 180. As the designations imply, the threerecesses 160, 170, 180 are recesses in the exterior wall surface 110.The three recesses 160, 170, 180 are slightly spaced horizontally fromeach other. The recesses 160, 170, 180 come into their function whenstacking containers 30 within one another, as described below withreference to FIGS. 10-15. In addition, the lower handle recess 160 isalso used to hold the lower handle assembly 190, as described below withreference to FIGS. 6-9.

Continuing with FIG. 3, the lower handle recess 160 comprises a pair ofopposing ends 168 and is taller than it is wide (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Abottom end 168 of the lower handle recess 160 is located generally atthe bottom end 48 of the body 40 of the container 30. A top end 168 ofthe lower handle recess 160 is located approximately halfway up theexterior wall surface 110 of the body 40, making the recess 160approximately half the height of the body 40 of the container 30. Thelower handle recess 160 is positioned so that the center of the upperhandle 100 is generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the recess160. The intermediate recess 170 comprises a pair of opposing ends 178.A bottom end 178 of the intermediate recess 170 is located generally atthe bottom end 48 of the body 40. The intermediate recess 170 isapproximately the same width as the lower handle recess 160 andapproximately half the height of the lower handle recess 160. Theintermediate recess 170 is positioned between the lower handle recess160 and the short recess 180. The short recess 180 comprises a pair ofopposing ends 188. A bottom end 188 of the short recess 180 is locatedgenerally at the bottom end 48 of the body 40. The short recess 180 isapproximately the same width as both the lower handle recess 160 and theintermediate recess 170. The short recess 180 is approximately half theheight of the intermediate recess 170.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the interior wall surface 50 comprises a lowerhandle protuberance 60, an intermediate protuberance 70, and a shortprotuberance 80. As their names imply, the three protuberances 60, 70,80 are protuberances in the interior wall surface 50. The threeprotuberances 60, 70, 80 are complementary structures to the threerecesses 160, 170, 180 (see FIG. 3) in the exterior wall surface 110(see FIGS. 3 and 4). In other words, each protuberance 60, 70, 80projecting from the interior wall surface 50 is the result of anindentation formed by a corresponding recess 160, 170, 180 in theexterior wall surface 110. As a result, each protuberance 60, 70, 80 hasapproximately the same height and width as its counterpart. The lowerhandle protuberance 60 corresponds to the lower handle recess 160, theintermediate protuberance 170 corresponds to the intermediate recess170, and the short protuberance 80 corresponds to the short recess 180.As with the three recesses 160, 170, 180, the three protuberances 60,70, 80 are also employed when stacking containers 30 within one another,as described below with reference to FIGS. 10-15.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-9, a lower handle assembly 190 comprises a pairof opposing, spaced support ribs 192, a retainer flange 195, and a lowerhandle 196. The support ribs 192 and retainer flange 195 reside withinthe lower handle recess 160. When the lower handle 196 is deployed foruse, the lower handle 196 extends outside of the lower handle recess160, as shown in FIGS. 6-9. When the lower handle 196 is stowed withinthe recess 160, however, generally no portion of the lower handle 196extends beyond the plane of the exterior wall surface 110 (see FIGS. 3,4, and 11-15).

Continuing with FIGS. 6-9, the pair of opposing, spaced support ribs 192are molded into the lower handle recess 160 longitudinally along acenter portion of the lower handle recess 160. The pair of support ribs192 are generally parallel to each other, and both support ribs 192 areapproximately of the same length. The support ribs 192 extend fromgenerally the top end 168 of the lower handle recess 160 to proximatethe bottom end 168 of the recess 160. Each support rib 192 includes aneye or pivot hole 193 that extends through a lower portion of eachsupport rib 192. The eyes 193 of the support ribs 192 attach the lowerhandle 196 to the support ribs 192, as described below with reference toFIGS. 6-9.

Still referring to FIGS. 6-9, the lower handle 196 comprises a handleelement 197 and a pair of opposing, spaced legs 198. The handle element197 and pair of opposing legs 198 are both part of the same continuous,elongated body of material, such as a length of thick-gauge wire or athin rod. The handle element 197 is formed from the center portion ofthe material, while each leg 198 is formed from an end of the material.The handle element 197 is elongated to allow for easy grasping andholding of the handle 196. The pair of opposing legs 198 are generallyparallel to each other and approximately of the same length. A lowerportion of each leg 198 is splayed outwardly from a space between theopposing legs 198 at approximately a ninety-degree angle. An end of thelower portion of each leg 198 fits into a respective eye 193 of thecorresponding proximate support rib 192, thereby attaching the lowerhandle 196 to the two support ribs 192. The lower handle 196 pivotseasily within the eyes 193 of the support ribs 192, allowing the handle196 to extend outside of the lower handle recess 160 and to withdrawback within the recess 160.

Continuing with FIGS. 6-9, the retainer flange 195 is molded into thelower handle recess 160, generally in the center of the top end 168 ofthe lower handle recess 160. The retainer flange 195 maintains the lowerhandle 196 within the lower handle recess 160 when the lower handle 196is in the stowed position within the recess 160. To stow the lowerhandle 196, the handle element 197 of the lower handle 196 is pressedagainst the retainer flange 195 until the upper portion of the handleelement 197 snaps into place beneath the flange 195. To extend the lowerhandle 196 for use, the handle element 197 of the handle 196 is pulledout from beneath, or unsnapped from, the retainer flange 195.

Regarding FIGS. 6-9, in alternate embodiments, a lower handle assembly190, including a lower handle 196, can be configured differently. Forexample, the lower handle 196 can be configured to allow the handle 196to be positioned within a range of possible positions and to remainstationary in the given position until repositioned. Also in alternateembodiments, the lower handle 196 can be constructed of anothermaterial, and a lower handle 196 can be constructed in a differentshape.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-15, to stack containers 30 together, the threerecesses 160, 170, 180 (see particularly FIG. 15) in the exterior wallsurface 110 (see FIG. 15) of the body 40 of the container 30 and thecorresponding three protuberances 60, 70, 80 (see particularly FIGS. 13and 14) in the interior wall surface 50 (see FIGS. 11-14) of the body 40of the container 30 are aligned in a specific configuration relative tothe other container 30 or containers 30 in the stack. To help illustratethis, FIG. 10 depicts a top view of four containers 30 stacked together.FIGS. 11-14 are cutaway side views of the containers 30 shown in FIG.10, all taken along line X-Y. FIG. 11 shows the bottom container 30,FIG. 12 shows the bottom two containers 30 a, 30 b, FIG. 13 shows thebottom three containers 30 a, 30 b, 30 c, and FIG. 14 shows all fourcontainers 30 a, 30 b, 30 c, 30 d. FIG. 15 depicts a side view of thefour containers 30 stacked together from an angle that differs from thatshown in FIGS. 11-14.

Regarding FIGS. 10-15, the three inwardly directed protuberances 60, 70,80 (see particularly FIGS. 13 and 14) in the interior wall surface 50(see FIGS. 11-14) of the body 40 of the container 30 are complementarystructures to the three outer recesses 160, 170, 180 (see particularlyFIG. 15) in the exterior wall surface 110 (see FIG. 15), such that eachprotuberance 60, 70, 80 projecting from the interior wall surface 50 isthe result of an indentation formed by a corresponding recess 160, 170,180 in the exterior wall surface 110, as described above with referenceto FIG. 5. In describing FIGS. 12-14, the position of a recess 160, 170,180 not shown in a drawing can be ascertained from referring to theposition of a corresponding protuberance 60, 70, 80 that is shown.

Referring now to FIG. 12, as a second container 30 b is slid down withina first container 30 a, a stacking stop 230 b of the second container 30b comes into contact with a lip 200 a of the first container 30 a. Thisprevents the second container 30 b from being slid further into thefirst container 30 a. The second container 30 b fits within the firstcontainer 30 a, such that an intermediate recess 170 b of the secondcontainer 30 b slides over an upper portion of a lower handleprotuberance 60 a of the first container 30 a, and a short recess 180 b(not shown) of the second container 30 b slides over an upper portion ofan intermediate protuberance 70 a (not shown) of the first container 30a.

Referring now to FIG. 13, as a third container 30 c is slid down withinthe second container 30 b, a stacking stop 230 c of the third container30 c comes into contact with a lip 200 b of the second container 30 b.This prevents the third container 30 c from being slid further into thesecond container 30 b. The third container 30 c fits within the secondcontainer 30 b, such that an intermediate recess 170 c (not shown, butidentical to the intermediate recess 170 b shown in FIG. 12) of thethird container 30 c slides over an upper portion of a lower handleprotuberance 60 b of the second container 30 b, and a short recess 180 cof the third container 30 c slides over an upper portion of anintermediate protuberance 70 b of the second container 30 b.

Referring now to FIG. 14, as a fourth container 30 d is slid down withinthe third container 30 c, a stacking stop 230 d of the fourth container30 d comes into contact with a lip 200 c of the third container 30 c.This prevents the fourth container 30 d from being slid further into thethird container 30 c. The fourth container 30 d fits within the thirdcontainer 30 c, such that an intermediate recess 170 d (not shown, butidentical to the intermediate recess 170 b shown in FIG. 12) of thefourth container 30 d slides over an upper portion of a lower handleprotuberance 60 c of the third container 30 c, and a short recess 180 d(not shown, but identical to the short recess 180 c shown in FIG. 13) ofthe fourth container 30 d slides over an upper portion of anintermediate protuberance 70 c of the third container 30 c.

Regarding FIGS. 10-15, note that when the fourth container 30 d isstacked within the third container 30 c, a recursive nesting structureis initiated, in which the recesses 160, 170, 180 and protuberances 60,70, 80 of the second 30 b, third 30 c, and fourth containers 30 d arealigned in a manner similar to those of the first 30 a, second 30 b, andthird containers 30 c. In other words, a short recess 180 d of thefourth container 30 d slides over an upper portion of an intermediateprotuberance 70 c of the third container 30 c, while the correspondingintermediate recess 170 c of the third container 30 c slides over theupper portion of the lower handle protuberance 60 b of the secondcontainer 30 b. An intermediate recess 170 d of the fourth container 30d, then, slides over an upper portion of a lower handle protuberance 60c of the third container 30 c. A lower handle recess 160 d of the fourthcontainer 30 d does not slide over any of the protuberances 60 c, 70 c,80 c of the third container 30 c. When a fifth container 30 e (notshown) is stacked within the fourth container 30 d, the recursivenesting structure continues with the recesses 160, 170, 180 andprotuberances 60, 70, 80 of the third 30 c, fourth 30 d, and fifthcontainers 30 e aligned in a manner similar to those of the second 30 b,third 30 c, and fourth containers 30 d. Also note that the stacking ofcontainers 30 is not limited to stacking only four or five containers30. In theory, any number of containers 30 could be stacked together.

Although the present invention has been described in detail herein withreference to a certain preferred embodiment, other embodiments arepossible. For example, in an alternate embodiment, either an upperhandle 100, a lower handle 196, or both handles 100, 196 can be fittedwith a protective sleeve or grip or the like to protect one from injuryor discomfort while using a container 30. In another alternateembodiment, an upper handle 100, a lower handle 196, or both handles100, 196 can be removable. In yet another alternate embodiment, an upperhandle 100 can be formed as part of a body 40 of a container 30. Anotheralternate embodiment can include a spout for pouring from a container30. Yet another alternate embodiment can include a container 30 with alid for protecting material stored in the container 30. Therefore, thespirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to thedescription of the preferred embodiment contained herein.

1. Apparatus for carrying and scooping material, comprising: a containermember having an open top, an enclosed bottom and an enclosing side wallextending from said top to said bottom; a handle attached to saidcontainer adjacent said top; and a handle assembly fitted with saidcontainer member adjacent said bottom, said handle assembly including alower handle member and mounting means permitting said lower handlemember to extend outwardly from said side wall to facilitate filling,carrying or emptying of said container member, said mounting meanspermitting said lower handle member to be stored along said side wall ofsaid container member.
 2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 furthercomprising a recess in said side wall of said container member forreceiving said lower handle member when stored.
 3. The apparatus recitedin claim 2 wherein said lower handle member has a proximal end pivotallyattached in said side wall forming said recess adjacent said bottom,said lower handle member being rotatable about said proximal end forstorage within said recess.
 4. The apparatus recited in claim 3 whereinsaid recess extends laterally from generally said bottom and along saidside wall.
 5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said recessextends inwardly from said side wall and forms a protuberance inwardlyof said container member.
 6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 whereinsaid lower handle member includes an elongated portion extending fromsaid proximal end toward a distal end of said lower handle member, and ahandle element at said distal end extending laterally from saidelongated portion at said distal end.
 7. The apparatus recited in claim5 further comprising spaced supplementary recesses in said side wall ofsaid container member, each supplementary recess extending laterallyfrom generally said bottom and along said side wall and extendinginwardly from said side wall and forming an additional spacedprotuberance inwardly of said container member; and each supplementaryrecess of a substantially identical apparatus nested within saidapparatus dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with onesaid protuberance of said apparatus dimensioned and singularlypositioned to mate with respective said supplementary recess of saidsubstantially identical apparatus.
 8. The apparatus recited in claim 1wherein said upper handle member is generally U-shaped with each legthereof pivotally attached at opposing locations along said side walladjacent said top, each location being substantially equidistant fromsaid lower handle member.
 9. A container apparatus comprising: aplurality of nestable container members, each said container memberhaving an open top, an enclosing bottom, an enclosing side wallextending between said top and said bottom, a first recess extendingfrom generally said bottom along said side wall and forming acorresponding protuberance inwardly of said container member, and spacedsupplementary recesses extending from generally said bottom along saidside wall, each said supplementary recess forming a correspondingprotuberance inwardly of said container member; an upper handle attachedto each said container member adjacent said top; a lower handle assemblyfitted within said first recess of each said container member; and saidnestable container members nested such that each supplementary recess ofa subsequent container member nested within a previous container memberis dimensioned and singularly positioned to be aligned with oneprotuberance of said previous container member, said one protuberancedimensioned and singularly positioned to mate with respective saidsupplementary recess of said subsequent container member.
 10. Thecontainer apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein each said nestablecontainer member further comprises a stacking stop extending outwardlyand about said side wall below said open top.
 11. A containercomprising: a body having an enclosed bottom, an open top, an interiorsurface and an exterior surface, said body being wider at said top andnarrower at said bottom, a lower portion of said exterior surfacecontaining a plurality of recesses for stacking multiple containers suchthat each said recess produces a corresponding protuberance in a lowerportion of said interior surface of said body; an elongated upper handleattached to an upper portion of said body; and a lower handle assemblygenerally contained within a first recess of said plurality of recessesin said exterior surface of said body for assisting in use of saidcontainer, said lower handle assembly including a lower handle andmounting means permitting said lower handle to selectively extendoutwardly from said first recess and retract back therein.
 12. Thecontainer recited in claim 11, wherein said first recess has a top endand a bottom end, said lower handle assembly further including a pair ofopposing, spaced, parallel support ribs attached longitudinally along acenter portion of said first recess and extending from generally saidtop end of said first recess to proximate said bottom end of said firstrecess, said support ribs substantially equal in length, each saidsupport rib having a pivot hole extending through a lower portionthereof; and said lower handle being formed from an elongated memberwith a pair of legs substantially equal in length, a lower end of eachsaid leg splayed outwardly substantially laterally such that each saidleg fits within said pivot hole of an adjacent one of said support ribs,and said lower handle having at an upper end thereof a handle element topermit grasping and holding of said lower handle.
 13. The containerrecited in claim 11, further comprising a flange attached to said bodywithin said first recess for selectively securing said lower handleretracted in said first recess.
 14. The container recited in claim 11,wherein said first recess forms a corresponding first protuberancewithin said container, a second recess being formed of a correspondingsecond protuberance, a third recess being formed of a correspondingthird protuberance with said first, second, and third protuberancesspaced about said interior surface and of approximately equal width. 15.The container recited in claim 14 wherein said first recess has a heightextending above said bottom greater than a corresponding height of saidsecond recess, and said second recess has a height extending above saidbottom greater than a corresponding height of said third recess.
 16. Acontainer apparatus comprising: three nestable container members, eachsaid container member having an open top, an enclosed bottom, anenclosed side wall extending between said top and said bottom, and threespaced recesses extending laterally from generally said bottom and alongsaid side wall and extending inwardly from said side wall and formingcorresponding spaced protuberances inwardly of said container member,each said protuberance substantially equal in height and width to acorresponding said recess; a first recess taller than a second recess,and said second recess taller than a third recess, and said first,second, and third recesses substantially equal in width; a verticalcenterline of said first recess being angularly disposed byapproximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of said secondrecess, and said vertical centerline of said second recess beingangularly disposed by approximately sixty degrees from a verticalcenterline of said third recess, and said vertical centerline of saidthird recess being angularly disposed by approximatelyone-hundred-twenty degrees from said vertical centerline of said firstrecess; an upper portion of a first protuberance of a first containermember dimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess ofa second container member, said second container member nested withinsaid first container member, and an upper portion of a secondprotuberance of said first container member dimensioned to be fittedsubstantially within a third recess of said second container member; andan upper portion of a first protuberance of said second container memberdimensioned to be fitted substantially within a second recess of a thirdcontainer member, said third container member nested within said secondcontainer member, and an upper portion of a second protuberance of saidsecond container member dimensioned to be fitted substantially within athird recess of said third container member; such that said secondcontainer member nested within said first container member is angularlydisposed by approximately sixty degrees with respect to said firstcontainer member, and said third container member nested within saidsecond container member is angularly disposed by approximately sixtydegrees with respect to said second container member and angularlydisposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees with respect tosaid first container member.
 17. A method for stacking nestablecontainers, each container having a plurality of recesses andcorresponding protuberances formed of the recesses, said methodcomprising the steps of: aligning recesses of a subsequent containerwith protuberances of a previous container; stacking the subsequentcontainer within the previous container such that each aligned recess ofthe subsequent container fits over a portion of a respectiveprotuberance of the previous container; repeating said aligning andstacking steps in sequence until a last container has been stacked. 18.The method for stacking nestable containers as recited in claim 17,wherein the plurality of recesses are a first recess, a second recess,and a third recess, and the corresponding protuberances are a firstprotuberance, a second protuberance, and a third protuberance.
 19. Themethod for stacking nestable containers as recited in claim 18, whereinsaid aligning step includes aligning a second recess of the subsequentcontainer with a first protuberance of the previous container, andaligning a third recess of the subsequent container with a secondprotuberance of the previous container; and said stacking step includesfitting the second recess of the subsequent container over an upperportion of the first protuberance of the previous container, and fittingthe third recess of the subsequent container over an upper portion ofthe second protuberance of the previous container.
 20. The method forstacking nestable containers as recited in claim 19, wherein a verticalcenterline of a first recess is angularly disposed by approximatelysixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a second recess, and thevertical centerline of the second recess is angularly disposed byapproximately sixty degrees from a vertical centerline of a thirdrecess, and the vertical centerline of the third recess is angularlydisposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees from the verticalcenterline of the first recess; such that the subsequent containernested within the previous container is angularly disposed byapproximately sixty degrees with respect to the previous container, andanother subsequent container nested within the subsequent container isangularly disposed by approximately one-hundred-twenty degrees withrespect to the previous container.